NEWS 180301 ABOUT Exton|OS with Budgie Desktop 10.4 and Refracta Tools
The Desktop Environment in this Exton|OS build is Budgie 10.4. ("Budgie is focused on simplicity an elegance. Designed with the modern user in mind"). Program content in build 180301: Refracta Tools, Calamares 3.1.12, Firefox, Gimp, SMPlayer, SMTube, and GParted. Also all necessary additions in order to install programs from source. Calamares "is an installer framework. By design it is very customizable, in order to satisfy a wide variety of needs and use cases". Kernel 4.16.0-rc3-exton (corresponding Kernel.org‘s latest kernel 4.16-rc3) is used in Exton|OS. All packages have been updated to the latest available version as at March 1, 2018. Google Chrome has been removed, since it is now possible to use Netflix in Firefox. Using Refracta snapshot you can change everything to your liking and create your own live installable Ubuntu system. I mean create your own installable Ubuntu 18.04 Live DVD once you have installed Exton|OS to hard drive.

RUNS from RAM
Another great thing is that Exton|OS can run from RAM. Use Boot alternative 3 (load to RAM). When the system has booted up you can remove the disc (DVD) or USB stick. You’ll need at least 2 GB RAM to run Exton|OS that way. I.e. superfast!

REPOSITORIES and SOFTWARE MANAGEMENT
Exton|OS is totally compatible with Ubuntu 18.04 LTS and therefore uses Ubuntu’s repositories. After a hard drive install of Exton|OS you can go ahead and install any extra software you like and also upgrade the whole system. After running the command apt-get update you should use Synaptic Package Manager. Since Exton|OS is based on upcoming Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (to be released in a stable version on April 26, 2018) you will/can be the first to have Ubuntu 18.04 in a stable version in April 2018.

THE IMPORTANCE of Exton|OS being based on upcoming (unstable/development) Ubuntu 18.04
I don’t think it is too important since Exton|OS doesn’t use complicated Desktop Environments like KDE, Gnome or Unity. Programs won’t crash or anything like that. And I haven’t discovered any bugs to report.

Tagged as Build 180301, the new Exton|OS release is based on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS and features the lightweight and modern Budgie desktop environment created by the Solus devs. Budgie 10.4 is on-board this release, which comes with the renowned Calamares universal installer framework by default.

According to the developer, Exton|OS is now fully compatible with the software repositories of Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, which means that users can install any upstream package they need. Also, Arne Exton claims Exton|OS would be the first GNU/Linux distro to be based on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (Bionic Beaver), due for release on April 26, 2018."